The pawn with a clear path

Step 1 of 6

Look first

Not every pawn can simply march forwards.

A white pawn has a clear path: no black pawn can stop it. Tap it.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space marks a square or removes the mark.

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abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a square from a list

Square a8, emptyb8, emptyc8, emptyd8, emptye8, emptyf8, emptyg8, black kingh8, emptya7, black pawnb7, black pawnc7, emptyd7, emptye7, emptyf7, emptyg7, black pawnh7, black pawna6, emptyb6, emptyc6, emptyd6, emptye6, emptyf6, emptyg6, emptyh6, emptya5, emptyb5, emptyc5, emptyd5, white pawne5, emptyf5, emptyg5, emptyh5, emptya4, emptyb4, emptyc4, emptyd4, emptye4, emptyf4, emptyg4, emptyh4, emptya3, emptyb3, emptyc3, emptyd3, emptye3, emptyf3, emptyg3, emptyh3, emptya2, white pawnb2, white pawnc2, emptyd2, emptye2, emptyf2, emptyg2, white pawnh2, white pawna1, emptyb1, emptyc1, emptyd1, emptye1, emptyf1, emptyg1, white kingh1, empty Mark or unmark

Position as a list

White

• King g1
• Pawn a2
• Pawn b2
• Pawn d5
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g8
• Pawn a7
• Pawn b7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Step 2 of 6

Decide

Look carefully at the pawn on d5 and the pawns around it.

What makes the pawn on d5 a passed pawn?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Position as a list

White

• King g1
• Pawn a2
• Pawn b2
• Pawn d5
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g8
• Pawn a7
• Pawn b7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Which plan fits?

No enemy pawn stands ahead of it or diagonally ahead It is in the middle of the board It has already advanced a long way

Step 3 of 6

Try it

Create a passed pawn with a pawn move, without giving Black one.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move d5 – pawn from d4 to d5dxc5 – pawn from d4 captures on c5g3 – pawn from g2 to g3g4 – pawn from g2 to g4h3 – pawn from h2 to h3h4 – pawn from h2 to h4Kf2 – king from g1 to f2Kh1 – king from g1 to h1Kf1 – king from g1 to f1 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King g1
• Pawn d4
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g8
• Pawn c5
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Step 4 of 6

Why does it work?

To identify a passed pawn, first look only at the enemy pawns: is there still one ahead of it on the same file or a neighboring file?

If there is no enemy pawn there, it is a passed pawn. Pieces can still stop it.

Step 5 of 6

New position, same idea

This time, a piece helps.

You are playing Black. Create a passed pawn.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

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hgfedcba

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move Kh8 – king from g8 to h8Kf7 – king from g8 to f7Kf8 – king from g8 to f8a6 – pawn from a7 to a6a5 – pawn from a7 to a5g6 – pawn from g7 to g6g5 – pawn from g7 to g5h6 – pawn from h7 to h6h5 – pawn from h7 to h5Nd6 – knight from f5 to d6Ne7 – knight from f5 to e7Nh6 – knight from f5 to h6Nh4 – knight from f5 to h4Ng3 – knight from f5 to g3Nxe3 – knight from f5 captures on e3d3 – pawn from d4 to d3dxe3 – pawn from d4 captures on e3 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King g1
• Pawn a2
• Pawn b2
• Pawn e3
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g8
• Knight f5
• Pawn a7
• Pawn d4
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Step 6 of 6

Nimzowitsch and today

Aaron Nimzowitsch: looking at the board differently